70's British Horror Part Twenty-Two

LEGEND OF THE WITCHES

(1970)
Dir - Malcom Leigh
Overall: MEH

The X-rated documentary film Legend of the Witches from Malcom Leigh is part exploitation pandering and part sincerely informative in its approach to the subject matter.  Shot in black and white with a zero energy narration by Guy Standeven, it is quite thoroughly researched and follows a leaner structure beginning all the way back to pre-Christian paganism practices through their continued use and adaption into the modern day.  Detailed depictions of black masses and initiation ceremonies are also shown, with plenty of full nudity to garnish its adult rating.  It is far less sleazy though than other occult-themed movies of the time, being non-bias and instructional without seeming indoctrinating. The straight-forward presentation, while equally interesting and admirable, does give way to substantial pacing issues though.  Standeven's narration is sparse as is any incidental music and it becomes difficult to stay properly engaged with along the way.  Though one could not fairly describe it as entertaining per se, visually it is quite strong at least and there is a consistent, subdued atmosphere. 

 

THE DEVILS

(1971)

Dir - Ken Russell

Overall: GOOD

If not Ken Russell's crowning achievement, The Devils is at least the most Ken Russell movie that Ken Russell ever made.  Graphically stylized and purposely excessive to suite its narrative means, the film is an adaptation of both The Devils of Loudun, (Aldous Huxley's non-fiction account of the trial and execution of the 17th century, Roman Catholic priest Urbain Grandier), and the play The Devils by John Whiting, also based off of Huxley's text.  Regarded as one of the most controversial movies ever made, depictions of naked, screaming nuns foaming at the mouth in ecstasy as they burn bibles and dry hump a life-sized crucifix only scratch the surface.  The barbaric depiction of the Catholic Church is exaggerated to emphasize political extremes, where Oliver Reed's Grandier is tortured and burned alive in order for his city's fortifications to be torn down to stop further Protestant uprisings.  While it is a clear critique on the historical, hypocritical atrocities committed by purely politicized religious extremism, the movie's more paramount themes are that of sexual repression and the duality of pridefulness.  It is a beautifully designed, unapologetically provocative triumph in virtually all shapes and forms.

 

CRAZE

(1974)

Dir - Freddie Francis

Overall: MEH

A movie directed by famed cinematographer/Hammer and Amicus regular Freddie Francis about Jack Palance murdering women to appease his malevolent African god certainly sounds better on paper than it ends up being in reality.  Though Craze was a British production, it was also the last film to be made by American B-movie schlock-meister Herman Cohen, which somewhat explains its unfulfilled potential.  Based off of the 1967 novel The Infernal Idol by Henry Seymour, the problem mostly stems from the lackluster presentation and monotonous script.  Palance phones it in more or less, screaming regularly when he goes full lunatic, but otherwise delivering his lines as if he persistently has something better to do.  Francis' keen visual eye is hardly anywhere to be seen as most of the movie is flatly lit and staged.  Even the murder sequences are highly unmemorable, save for one where Palance wears a ridiculous mask and basically shouts "Boo!" at an old lady which causes her to have a heart attack.  Such moments of silliness are too few and far between unfortunately and it is a less chilling and fun "crazy man run amok" movie than just a laborious, by numbers one.

Hammer Dracula Sequels Part Two

SCARS OF DRACULA

(1970)

Dir - Roy Ward Baker

Overall: MEH

 

For their second Dracula sequel in one year and the sixth installment in the series overall, Hammer Films barely seems to be trying with Scars of Dracula.  Back in Transylvania yet opening with what looks to be the closing moments of the previous Taste the Blood of Dracula, a random bat spits blood on the vampire's ashes, then an angry mob burns his castle, he has another servant named Klove, (even though he also had one in Dracula: Prince of Darkness played by another actor), and we spend most of our time with some more relatively boring, younger characters than we do Dracula himself.  It is as if Hammer was in such a rush to squeeze another movie out of the series that they just grabbed a hodgepodge of cliches that were already overstaying their welcome and then haphazardly threw them together with no mind for continuity.  Some of this makes sense as it was partially constructed as a reboot in case Christopher Lee finally had enough of being emotionally blackmailed into keeping the crew working with his involvement.  There is some nasty bloodshed, Lee gets more dialog than usual, and Patrick Troughton is in it at least though.

DRACULA A.D. 1972

(1972)

Dir - Alan Gibson

Overall: MEH

Two years after retreading the same ground for the sixth time with Scars of Dracula, Hammer made the somewhat bold move to contemporize their titular vampire with Dracula A.D. 1972.  Warner Bros. commissioned Hammer to make two more films in the series that were set in the modern day after American International Pictures' Count Yorga, Vampire and its sequel had recently done solid enough business.  Though the change in locale gives this installment a shot in the arm from the same "rural, 19th century, superstitious, European town" setting, the script by Don Houghton is far from ingenious.  A spoiled, young bohemian resurrects Dracula for kicks and Van Helsing's decedent just happens to be part of his crew.  The return of Peter Cushing is another notable selling point and though he is not technically THEE Van Helsing but his grandson, he may as well be since he is an occult expert and ends up destroying the vampire by the usual means.  The hip, wah-wah guitar music by Manfred Man's Mike Vickers is positively awful and dates the film far more than the earlier, period-set Gothic ones.  Though it is nice to see Cushing and Lee back at each other's throats and we get a silly Satanic ceremony where Caroline Munroe gets bright red blood dumped all over her, the movie is regrettably still not that interesting.

THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA

(1973)

Dir - Alan Gibson

Overall: MEH

 

Hammer kept their titular vampire in the contemporary age once more for The Satanic Rites of Dracula, a direct sequel to the previous Dracula A.D. 1972 which once again reunites Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing as Van Helsing's occult expert descendant.  The writer director team of Don Houghton and Alan Gibson returns as well and the former's script is noticeably more ambitious than any other in the series.  Dracula's resurrection is given no expiation whatsoever as he clandestinely runs a secret society that is planning to unleash a skin melting plague on the populous.  Also, the movie is somehow a spy thriller with Satanism, plus Lee does a Béla Lugosi accent in one, (perhaps unintentionally), amusing scene.  Assuredly a mess, the first act is unfortunately a bore and as usual, Lee's absence throughout most of it is rather detrimental.  Things pick up a bit when he and Cushing finally get some screen time together, but the ending could be the dumbest out of any of the installments as Dracula gets stuck in a thorn bush, trips, and then lays there for several moments while Van Helsing breaks off a piece of a fence to stake him with.  A scrapping the barrel offering to be sure, it is rather a saving grace that Lee finally got his wish to never revisit the character again in a Hammer production after this.

THE LEGEND OF THE 7 GOLDEN VAMPIRES

(1974)

Dir - Roy Ward Baker/Chang Cheh

Overall: GOOD

Though it has its fare share of problems, the one and only joint production between Hammer and the Shaw Brothers in The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires, (The 7 Brothers Meet Dracula), gets a decent amount of mileage out of its clashing of genres.  Filmed in Hong Kong with Peter Cushing staying on board and a small handful of English actors, it fits in seamlessly with Hammer's usual crop of horror sequels while simultaneously and unmistakably being a martial arts movie.  The visual realization of the undead fiends of the title as well as the set design of their lair is ghoulishly executed.  Some further advancements to the vampire mythos, (such as the fact that in the East, the image of the Buddha serves the same purpose to ward them off as does the crucifix out west), are also a nice addiction.  As far as the kung-fu goes, it is both a hindrance and an amusingly fun tweak to the formula.  Most of the earlier fight scenes spring up out of nowhere and stall the pacing quite a bit, yet everything becomes a lot more wickedly engaging when the putty-faced, zombie-esque vampires and their minions finally throw down with ninja flips and swords in the third act.  Dracula is pathetically wasted and shoehorned in there with Christopher Lee finally through with such nonsense and a very unmemorable John Forbes-Robinson stepping in and doing his best Lee impression with what he has to work with.  An interesting experiment to be sure, but quite a silly one as well.

Hammer Dracula Sequels Part One

THE BRIDES OF DRACULA

(1960)

Dir - Terence Fisher

Overall: MEH

 

While director Terence Fisher, screenwriter Jimmy Sangster, and Peter Cushing as Doctor Van Helson all return, Christopher Lee briefly stepped away from the title role for the Horror of Dracula follow up The Brides of Dracula.  Said title is misleading as not only is the seminal, undead count nowhere to be found, but only two women fall victim to new vampire David Peel's diabolical charm and neither of them garnish hardly enough screen time to warrant a "bride" moniker.  In any event, there are some memorable, striking, bloody-eyed and fanged images here, plus Cushing brutally cauterizes a vampire bite with a scalding iron and holy water.  Unfortunately, the story leaves room for a lot of pacing lulls, particularly in the middle act which slows to a standstill with lackluster townsfolk and a random cameo from comic relief character actor Miles Malleson.  Also, this probably has the lamest vampire death in any Hammer film, though it does come after an efficiently heart-racing final showdown.  It is certainly a disappointing sequel and noticeably suffers from Lee's absence, but at least he would come back for the next six installments even if the quality, (or lack-thereof), of each was largely out of his hands.

DRACULA: PRINCE OF DARKNESS

(1966)

Dir - Terence Fisher

Overall: GOOD

 

The last Hammer Dracula film to have Terence Fisher behind the lens and the first to bring back Christopher Lee as the titular vampire, Dracula: Prince of Darkness fails to mention the previous, Christopher Lee-less The Brides of Dracula, instead serving as a proper follow-up to Horror of Dracula from eight years prior.  Opening with archive footage from the previous movie in case anyone in the audience forgot what they were seeing a sequel to, this entry helped further set the template for several that would follow.  Meaning that Dracula does not show up until at least halfway through the movie, comes back to "life" rather effortlessly, barely if at all speaks, and superstitious villagers act superstitiously.  This early in the franchise, simply having Lee back even as a blood-crazed mute is probably enough to hold over most Gothic horror buffs, but this one also benefits from a forceful performance from Hammer regular Andrew Keir as Dracula's holy man foible, who makes up for Peter Cushing's absence.  Lee's demise is both unique and pathetic, (Dracula can't swim, really?), but at least it continues the deviation from the usual stake through the heart undoing.  Though Barbara Shelley fills that particular demise quota here.

DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE

(1968)

Dir - Freddie Francis

Overall: GOOD

 

Freddie Francis had the distinction of taking over for Terence Fisher in the director's chair for both their Frankenstein and Dracula series.  The forth installment Dracula Has Risen from the Grave is a direct sequel to the previous film and a more accurate title would have been "Dracula Has Risen from Being Delicately Frozen in Ice".  Christopher Lee thankfully gets some dialog again, though his screen time is still unfortunately limited.  He excels all the same though with blood-shot eyes and a vehemently cruel demeanor that is every bit as nasty as his many other portrayals of the undead count.  Scream queen Veronica Carlson makes her first appearance in a Hammer production, filling the role of "beautiful, innocent girl who unwillingly becomes engulfed by Dracula's spell".  The vampire mythos are given a mild update as now one must pray when staking Dracula through the heart, otherwise he will just be really uncomfortable thrashing around for a few minutes before pulling the device out.  This fits in cleverly enough with the story as our dashing, atheist hero, (Barry Andrews), has an altercation with his love interest's Monsignor Uncle, (Rupert Davis), and another priest becomes the vampire's feeble henchmen.  The faith-challenging angle is not really explored much, but it gives the familiar story an interesting enough backbone at least to layer some more atmospheric, ghastly fun on top of.

TASTE THE BLOOD OF DRACULA

(1970)

Dir - Peter Sasdy

Overall: MEH

The fifth Dracula installment for Hammer Studios Taste the Blood of Dracula is a bit of a frustrating effort.  Screenwriter Anthony Hinds returns with Peter Sandsy making his Hammer debut behind the lens and this far into the series, they were still able to tweak enough things for it not to be a complete rehash.  Opening with the ending of Dracula Has Risen from the Grave, it introduces the concept of Satanism for the first time in the series with a young, disgraced, heathen Lord, (Hammer mainstay Ralph Bates), trying to summon his "master" Dracula by way of an oddball ritual where he and a bunch of bored, wealthy hypocrites are supposed to drink the vampire's blood.  Both the way that the titular Count regains his Christopher Lee form and the way in which he mees his demise are either ingeniously bizarre or just plain lazy depending on how gracious the viewer is.  Dracula's revenge scheme is fun though, with some gruesome deaths and bosomy maiden hypnotism.  Speaking of bosoms, this was the first entry in the series to feature nudity which appears near the beginning of the film in a brothel run by a flamingly effeminate man-madame.  If it was not for the weak ending and maybe one too many sloppy plot points, this could be a more positive stand-out as opposed to just an unrealized one.

Hammer Frankenstein Sequels Part Two

FRANKENSTEIN MUST BE DESTROYED

(1969)

Dir - Terence Fisher

Overall: GOOD

 

Five films in and Hammer's Frankenstein series got a fiendish boost with Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed.  Director Terence Fisher and star Peter Cushing were still effortlessly in fine form with the studio's latest scream queen Veronica Carlson joining the fold as well.  While it is true that the rape scene between Cushing and Carlson is both out of character for Frankenstein and in rather poor taste, it was only added because of Hammer executive James Carreras, with all other parties involved, (including Fisher and Cushing), objecting to it.  That unfortunate moment aside, the story still involves the transplanting of human organs and Cushing's doctor is as unrepentant in his stubborn quest as ever, but his specific scheme is tweaked a bit as he blackmails an engaged couple into doing his bidding.  Fisher stages quite a number of Hitchcock-worthy suspense sequences and the continued lack of a conventional Karloff-styled creature is actually still a welcome change.  Bert Batt's screenplay is fairly tight and less monotonous than usual for Hammer's seemingly endless horror sequel machine and the usual, reliable elements of blood, ghastliness, Fisher's cruising direction, and committed performances is quite on par.

 

THE HORROR OF FRANKENSTEIN

(1970)

Dir - Jimmy Sangster

Overall: MEH

 

Frequent Hammer writer Jimmy Sangster got his first crack behind the lens with the company's quasi-parody reboot The Horror of Frankenstein.  The only entry in the series to not feature Peter Cushing in the lead, Ralph Bates steps in as a noticeably different Baron.  Womanizing, sly, and more wise-cracking in his arrogance, Bates' portrayal is less diabolically stubborn than Cushing's though it is certainly fun in its own right.  Sadly the script, (which was rewritten by Sangster after it was initially developed as a straight-ahead remake of The Curse of Frankenstein), is both monotonous and underwhelming.  Both Frankenstein and his hulking Monster, (David Prowse in his first of two portrayals as the creature), do away with a number of victims in quite the foreseeable fashion and it takes about an hour in the running time to even get there.  Though Bates' charm carries things along to a point, the film's humdrum nature is too much for his shoulders alone to bare, plus the ending is unintentionally laughable in its complete abruptness.  Even though it tries to update the well-worn source material, it still ends up simply being a variation of the same old thing.

FRANKENSTEIN AND THE MONSTER FROM HELL

(1974)

Dir - Terence Fisher
Overall: GOOD

Hammer finally wrapped everything up with Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell, the seventh entry in the series.  Filmed in 1972 yet released two years later on a double bill in some markets along with Captain Kronos - Vampire Hunter, this was the last time that Peter Cushing ever appeared as the Baron and the final directorial effort from Terence Fisher.  It was also the second instance where David Prowse played the creature and said monster design is probably the most over the top in the series, coming off as a cross between a werewolf and a hunchback for whatever reason.  The change in locale to an insane asylum is a welcome tweak, while the colorful gore remains as steadfast as ever.  Cushing's much more weathered take on the doctor is rather interesting in that he seems to have exhausted his outwardly fiendish tendencies, instead becoming more pathetically insane than anything.  For the first time, Frankenstein is depicted as being humbled, crediting his temporary success to not just himself but both of his assistants as well.  Plus when it all inevitably ends in tragedy, he immediately and cheerfully starts planning his next experiment.  This sends the franchise off on a funny yet pitiful note, signifying that the Baron has undeniably lost his marbles.  With so many such films following a near identical framework, this was a fitting, tongue in cheek way to close it out.

Hammer Frankenstein Sequels Part One

THE REVENGE OF FRANKENSTEIN

(1958)

Dir - Terence Fisher

Overall: GOOD

The Curse of Frankenstein sequel The Revenge of Frankenstein began production three days after Horror of Dracula wrapped up with a script from Jimmy Sangster apparently tossed off within six weeks on a tight crunch before shooting began.  For such a rushed job, it is quite understandable that the plot basically boils down to "Dr. Frankenstein tries the same thing again" and this would indeed be the case for all six of Hammer's sequels in the series, more or less.  Some of these films had the good sense to throw in a gimmick to help differentiate themselves from each other and this one has a normal looking "monster" with none of the overtly deformed physical attributes.  Despite a couple of sluggish moments, it is an engaging and mostly well-paced end product despite its recycled nature.  Director Terence Fisher and star Peter Cushing stayed on board, both of whom would continue to work together on a number of films besides just several more Frankenstein ones.  Also returning was cinematographer Jack Asher who continues the vividly colorful yet atmospherically gloomy visual presentation.

THE EVIL OF FRANKENSTEIN

(1964)

Dir - Freddie Francis

Overall: MEH

 

Cinematographer turned director Freddie Francis takes his first and only crack at a Frankenstein sequel with The Evil of Frankenstein, Hammer Studio's third in the series.  Continuity is abandoned as the film rewrites the chain of events from the first movie while completely ignoring those of the second installment.  As this was one of but a handful of Hammer productions to be distributed by Universal in the States, they were allowed to use a Jack Pierce-inspired creature design, sans bolts in the neck.  While New Zealand wrestler Kiwi Kingston's flat-top, putty-covered look hardly resembles the one that immortalized Boris Karloff in the role, it is still fitting with Hammer's then updated, more grotesque aesthetics.  Though Anthony Hinds' script brings in some unique ideas like a mute peasant girl who befriends the monster and sleazy hypnotist who puts him under his control, Francis' direction is sadly lifeless with the material and it drags at regular intervals.  For his part and rather ironically considering the movie's title, Peter Cushing is comparatively less malevolent this round as the doctor, coming off more desperate and frustrated than anything.

FRANKENSTEIN CREATED WOMAN

(1967)

Dir - Terence Fisher

Overall: MEH

On paper, the gimmick utilized for Hammer's fourth Frankenstein film Frankenstein Created Woman is singular enough.  This time, the coldly determined doctor transfers the soul of an innocently guillotined man into that of a deformed innkeeper's daughter, removing her unfortunate physical features and turning her into a beautiful and possessed revenge machine.  Mainstay Hammer director Terence Fisher returns and in the lead, Cushing is once again as stubborn and arrogant as ever.  Similar to the previous The Evil of Frankenstein, his creation's murder spree is not due to his deliberate influence though.  The concept here is less tangibly scientific with just electrifying a mass of limbs and organs, instead switching gears to the metaphysical idea of whether or not a soul can survive and live on in a new body after death.  The plot structure is as predictable as ever though and the motif of ignoring the previous films in the series continues as Frankenstein is simply set up somewhere with a fresh new crop of townsfolk who presume that he is up to witchcraft and therefor cannot be trusted.  So while some elements are refreshing to the series, the standard, potboiler presentation is not quite enough to elevate it.